


A Kept Promise

by BuddyTheMeanPeacock



Series: Drabbles and Oneshots (DimiClaude) [7]
Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2019-12-22
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:53:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21896203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BuddyTheMeanPeacock/pseuds/BuddyTheMeanPeacock
Summary: Claude keeps his end of the bargain he unwittingly made.Sequel to Reward
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd & Claude von Riegan, Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Series: Drabbles and Oneshots (DimiClaude) [7]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1561504
Comments: 10
Kudos: 173





	A Kept Promise

While the cathedral was regularly visited by many in the monastery, not many of those people approached the Goddess Tower often. It was understandable- it was a heavily monitored building in the past and is still regarded with much reverence for what it symbolizes. Truly, he had no idea how he had managed to let Sylvain convince him into even going there at all. He should have known it would be for something so ridiculous. He'd grown with the man, after all. One would think him immune to his antics, and to his credit it was not Sylvain _himself_ that managed to sway him.

It was Claude. As expected.

Dimitri sighed into his hands at the memory just a few days old. Of course Sylvain would go to Claude for assistance in his tomfoolery, that mongrel. Even in the academy Dimitri has had a soft spot for the fellow leader- something Sylvain knew all too well. He still remembers the teasing. He remembered it when Sylvain brought the man to the tower, and was determined to stand his ground. Nothing Claude could say would change his mind.

Until he offered his child portraits.

He puts his head on the desk in his room and lays his arms over it at the memory. Goddess, the _mention_ of such an idea- it was unfair, truly. How could he resist the chance of seeing a tiny Claude with rounded cheeks and eyes too large for his face? The thought of seeing such drove him up the wall.

Literally.

Claude had the absolute nerve to look shocked that his proposal worked- Dimitri wanted to meet the man who'd refuse it.

Now he sits in his room, the incident long since explained away by the two tricksters as some odd Demonic Beast latching itself to the sacred tower back during the invasion. Hardly believable, but then the actual story wasn't much better. Dimitri stewed in his embarrassment until a knock interrupted his ruminations.

"You may enter," he calls, not lifting his head yet.

"Ah, I kinda need you to open up, Dimitri," a familiar voice answered. "My hands are full."

Dimitri's head shot up. That was Claude.

He rounded up every ounce of will within him and did _not_ sprint to the door, instead managing a mere _brisk walk._ He opened and allowed Claude into his room. He carried with him three bundles of… something. Each were wrapped and tied with a cloth, making it hard to distinguish their nature.

"What is that?" He asked, curiosity overtaking him.

Claude sighs, setting the stack onto the desk before turning his head away from Dimitri. "A promise is a promise…"

He felt his eye widen before its gaze landed on the stack. "You mean…?"

"Yeah, yeah, I managed to get some, like I said," Claude said.

Losing his composure he immediately makes for the portraits. He stops when Claude slides between him and his goal, a furrowed brow and a pointed finger giving him an unfamiliar vibe.

"Dimitri I _swear,_ be careful with them," Claude warns, foreboding. "If _anything_ happens to them my mother will gut me like a fish."

Disregarding the startling fact that Claude's mother was still alive his words make him pause. "She… doesn't know they are gone?"

Claude ran a hand through his hair and sighed again. "Oh, absolutely not. She's… let's say protective, over these things. The man I had get them risked his neck more than you know, hence why there's only three. So, I repeat, _be careful_."

Dimitri nods. He goes for the top portrait, and gently- as gently as he could- lifts it and leaned it against the wall, not trusting himself with holding it. He unties the loose knot covering it, and it fell, revealing the painting beneath.

Dimitri gasped.

A truly magnificent drawing of Claude showed itself. Except _this_ Claude was so… small. And by the Goddess- this was no royal art piece, of a stilted pose a child couldn't hope to stay in. The painting before him showed a child, with a gold and green cloth wrapped around short, tousled hair, crossing his arms and holding his breath as only an angry child does, cheeks filled with air akin to a chipmunk stuffing its mouth with acorns, his mouth set in a firm pout.

Sympathy for the poor artist that had to recreate this image drowned in the flood of adoration. It was… so cute…

" _Oh…"_ he heard Claude mutter, but he dare not look away from the painting. "He took from the personal set… oh… I'm… going to kill him…"

Dimitri ignored the threat and went to the next, hands trembling in anticipation. He repeated his previous action and watched as the second cloth fell.

His hand went to his mouth.

Small, tiny Claude, facing forward as he smiled a big, gap-toothed smile, eyes closed but still happy. He noticed the braid framing the side of his face better in this one, and the strange clothing- he'd never seen any like it.

Whatever. Leicester was odd. He didn't care. He took a deep breath, trying and failing to calm his heart. _So… cute…_

Dimitri slapped his hands to his cheeks- he needed to calm down. They were merely the most adorable sets of paintings he has yet seen; no need to lose his composure so.

He heard yet another sigh. "Just one left…" Claude said, deflated. Dimitri nodded, more to himself than the room's other occupant. Lift portrait. Lean against wall. Untie knot. 

…

It was similar to the last; a lovely smile spread across young Claude's face, as bright as a child's smile always was. But there was one difference- one crucial difference.

His eyes were open.

The one painting to have such a feat, dazzling, enormous emeralds gleamed with such heart-warming joy as to light up the night sky. The artist was a true master; it looked as though the child would leave the frame any moment.

…

" _Gahhh_ , it's over," Claude groaned, relief filling his voice. He passed Dimitri's vision as he retrieved the portraits and rewrapped them one by one, with the careful touch of a healer stitching a wound. 

He saw Claude's face.

Blushing, ears tipped red, his brow furrowed and mouth in a pout.

…

He made for the door. 

"H-Hey, where are you-?"

The door clicked shut behind him, cutting the man off.

Dimitri walked into the hallway of the dorms. He hears voices from the room next door.

He goes for the handle. It's locked. He breaks it. It opens.

He walks in.

" _Whoa_! Your Highness, can't you see I'm a little busy-?"

"Sylvain. Training grounds. Now."

He hears not one complaint come from him.

They march to the training grounds. They get there.

Dimitri picks up a lance. Sylvain braces himself.

His thoughts are full.

_'BY THE GODDESS! CUTE! SO CUTE! ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE! HOW DARE I NEVER SEE THIS BEFORE THIS MOMENT. I WILL NEVER SEE ANYTHING BEYOND THIS! I COULD HAVE LIVED ON IN BLISSFUL, BEAUTIFUL, DIVINE IGNORANCE IF IT WASN'T FOR **YOU**! DAMN YOU SYLVAIN!' _

Dimitri will appreciate the fruits Sylvain's stunt unexpectedly bore later.

Later isn't now.

Dimitri charges him. 

He _screams_. Sylvain screams as well. He runs. Dimitri gives chase.

**Author's Note:**

> Nader gonna get his ass beat. Sylvain too.


End file.
